Le Voleur d'enfants

This poetic film, which is hard to categorize, leans on an excellent cast led by Marcello Mastroianni and Michel Piccoli. It tells a story of unfulfilled desire for parenthood, which finds an outlet through the kidnapping of small children by an Argentinian exile living in relatively luxurious exile in Paris. The film is strong visually, with its poetic imagery, especially scenes set in the fantastical theater of a magician and cabaret artist played by Michel Piccoli, reminiscent of old Molière films. It is a movie filled with bizarre human relationships and passions, carrying an ambiguous moral message. Dreamlike visions also play an important role, with some scenes parodying Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin. Overall impression: 65%. (09/04/2008)